Washington State Executive Ethics Board

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99-02 Operating a nonprofit within a state agency 00-11 Providing information about insurance products 00-12 Accepting tips by students working in college restaurant 02-03 Conflicts between regulatory and proprietary functions of DNR 03-03 Frequent flyer miles 03-04 Selling complimentary text books 04-02 Participating in creation or review of articles to be used to promote commercial products
Special Privileges			Page last updated: February 15, 2007
Advisory Opinion	Subject	Question	RCW and / or WAC	Cross Reference
99-02	• Use of state resources • Nonprofit entities	Whether state employees may operate a nonprofit corporation within a state agency for the purpose of overseeing fundraising and ensuring compliance with the state's ethics laws? Qualified No / See Opinion Top of Page	RCW 42.52.010 RCW 42.52.050 RCW 42.52.070 RCW 42.52.140 RCW 42.52.150 RCW 42.52.160
00-11	• Use of state facilities for voluntary benefits	Does an employee violate RCW 42.52.160(1) by permitting a business to use state facilities to provide employees with information about insurance products that may qualify for voluntary employee payroll deductions pursuant to RCW 41.04.020? Qualified No / See Opinion Top of Page	RCW 42.52.160 RCW 42.52.070
00-12	• Compensation for performing official duties; tips	1. Does the acceptance of a tip by a student employed as a waiter in a college restaurant violate the prohibition in RCW 42.52.110 against receiving additional compensation for performing official duties? No / See Opinion 2. Does the acceptance of a tip by a student employed as a waiter in a college restaurant violate the prohibition in RCW 42.52.110 against using state employment to grant special privileges to another person? No / See Opinion Top of Page	RCW 42.52.110 RCW 42.52.070
02-03	• Conflicts between the regulatory and proprietary functions of the Department of Natural Resources	Does the Ethics in Public Service Act address conflicts between the regulatory and proprietary functions of the DNR? No / See Opinion Top of Page	RCW 42.52.020 RCW 42.52.070	98-04
03-03	• Use of frequent flyer miles by state officers and employees	1. Can a state officer or employee use frequent flyer miles earned from official state travel for personal travel? Qualified Yes / See Opinion 2. Can a state officer or employee donate airline tickets to a state agency for official state travel by using personal frequent flyer miles? Yes / See Opinion 3. Can a state officer or employee purchase airline tickets for official state travel using personal frequent flyer miles and then seek reimbursement of that travel payment from the state? See Opinion Top of Page	RCW 42.52.020 RCW 42.52.030 RCW 42.52.070 RCW 42.52.150 RCW 42.52.160	98-10 01-02 01-07
03-04	• Selling complimentary textbooks	May state higher education faculty sell complimentary textbooks, which were received under an exemption to the gift prohibitions? See Opinion Top of Page	RCW 42.52.070 RCW 42.52.140 RCW 42.52.150 RCW 42.52.160 RCW 42.52.900 RCW 42.52.901	96-05 97-03 97-07
04-02	• Use of state facilities to support private commercial advertising activity	1. May an individual state officer or employee use state facilities, including state paid time, to participate in the creation or review of articles and other advertising materials that will be used to promote private commercial products and services? No / See Opinion 2. May a state officer or employee, acting within the course of official duties and under the authority of his or her agency, use state facilities, including state paid time, to promote private commercial products and services? Qualified Yes / See Opinion Top of Page	RCW 42.52.070 RCW 42.52.160 WAC 292-110-010	99-03 00-11 02-02A